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Welcome to Kicking the Seat!

Ian Simmons launched Kicking the Seat in 2009, one week after seeing Nora Ephron’s Julie & Julia. His wife proposed blogging as a healthier outlet for his anger than red-faced, twenty-minute tirades (Ian is no longer allowed to drive home from the movies).

The Kicking the Seat Podcast followed three years later and, despite its “undiscovered gem” status, Ian thoroughly enjoys hosting film critic discussions, creating themed shows, and interviewing such luminaries as Gaspar NoéRachel BrosnahanAmy Seimetz, and Richard Dreyfuss.

Ian is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association. He also has a family, a day job, and conflicted feelings about referring to himself in the third person.

The KtS Giveaway: The Chicago Critics Film Festival!

UPDATE: This contest has closed. Congrats to all the winners!

Midwest movie lovers! We're officially one day away from the Chicago Critics Film Festival! Starting Friday, May 1st, the Chicago Film Critics Association will bring hand-picked favorites from Toronto, Cannes, SXSW, and Sundance to the North Side's historic Music Box Theatre. We're pulling out all the stops for year three, hosting Q&A's with more than a dozen filmmakers and performers, including Joe and Kris Swanberg, Cobie Smulders, Bobcat Goldthwait, Barry Crimmins, James Ponsoldt, and Alfonso Gómez-Rejón!

Want to experience this cinematic sensation firsthand? Of course you do, and Kicking the Seat has one pair of passes to give away for ten of CCFF's coolest screenings--many of which feature guest appearances!

To Enter: Simply pick the film you'd most like to see from the list below, and email kickseat@gmail.com with the Subject Line "My Kind of Fest!" In the body of the email, include your name and the film's title. You can enter for as many films as you'd like, but please send separate emails for each one.

Only one pair of passes will be awarded for each screening, and this is first come/first served, so get to typing! As spots get snatched up, they will disappear from the list. The giveaway closes at 3pm CST on Thursday, April 30 (or when all tickets have been claimed).

Note: 1. Only enter if you plan to use both passes. Your guest's name is not required, but winners must claim both seats. 2. If you anticipate being unable to make your screening for any reason, please do not enter the contest. No-shows will be excluded from future KtS screening contests/giveaways. 3. These tickets guarantee seats, but not reserved seating; you'll want to arrive early to get a good spot. 4. This giveaway does not include any transporation, lodging, or other accommodations for winners/attendees.

For more information about the festival, and to purchase tickets, please visit the Music Box Theatre's CCFF page.

Thanks for reading, and I'll see you at The Music Box!

CALL ME LUCKY

Saturday, May 2 (9:30pm)

Special appearance and Q&A with director Bobcat Goldthwait & and comedian Barry Crimmins!

An inspiring, triumphant, and wickedly funny portrait of one of comedy’s most enigmatic and important figures: Barry Crimmins, a beer-swilling, politically outspoken, and whip-smart comic whose efforts in the '70s and '80s fostered the next generation of stand-up comedians. But beneath Crimmins’ gruff, hard-drinking, curmudgeonly persona lay an undercurrent of rage stemming from his long-suppressed and horrific abuse as a child—a rage that eventually found its way out of the comedy clubs and shows and into the political arena.

BATKID BEGINS

Sunday, May 3 (7:30pm)

Special appearance and Q&A with director Dana Nachman and co-writer Kurt Kuenne!

Five-year-old Miles Scott spent half his life battling leukemia. So when he wants to transform into Batkid, San Francisco's Make-a-Wish thinks bigger. Why not turn San Francisco into Gotham City? As the idea goes viral, will it overwhelm Miles, Make-a-Wish, and the city, or will the good of humanity make this a day to remember for millions?

QUITTERS

Monday, May 4 (7:00pm)

Special appearance and Q&A with director Noah Pritzker!

The world of precocious high schooler Clark Rayman (Ben Konigsberg) is crumbling around him. When his mother (Mira Sorvino) checks into rehab and he clashes with his father (Greg Germann), Clark goes in search of affection, convincing the much more stable family of his new girlfriend to let him move in.

 

NIGHT OWLS

Wednesday, May 6 (10:00pm)

Special appearance and Q&A with director Charles Hood and star Adam Pally!

Workaholic Kevin (Adam Pally) goes home with the beautiful train-wreck Madeline (Rosa Salazar) for a drunken one night stand, but he's horrified to discover she's actually his boss' jilted ex-mistress. After she takes a bottle of sleeping pills, Kevin is forced to keep her awake all night. As Madeline and Kevin banter through the night, they begin to fall for each other.

The KtS Contest: Rock, Roll, and Win!

The KtS Contest: Blu-ray of the FIVE ARMIES!